Tech update 62756c6c73686974

Tech Update: Observing an evolving world in and around Hoboken

A similar tech update may have been published in the past – but this is the latest. The most “current” thoughts on the world we live in today.

Back in the day – I (Hoboken411) was considered to be “way ahead of the curve.” In every technological aspect. Audio, computers, almost anything digital (except video – which was a burden up until just a few years ago).

We liked technology back then for several reasons:

It was “out of reach” for most people. Either too complicated, had less “rewards,” cost too much, or people were just “happy the way things were.”

It was still relatively “personal.” It didn’t involve the entire world – and you could consider it a “private hobby.”

More often than not – you were several YEARS ahead of everyone else if you were an “early adopter.” This gave you a huge head-start in terms of “knowledge.” The more shallow way of approaching that would be that you were “ahead of other idiots,” but I never took that approach (i.e., “first!”)

The moment I saw “everyone easy technology” was the moment I said “WHOA!”

In 2015, you now have barely infants operating iPads, and every kid from 7 and up “heads down” on their stupid phones.

And things you needed to practice to achieve just 10 or 15 years ago, and now achievable just with one click of the “filter” button.

So in other words – when technological “sophistication” reaches mainstream – it automatically becomes “unsophisticated” and 100% no longer a unique niche.

What does that mean for previously skilled artisans?

A ha!

15 years ago, someone who knew how to “specialize” in something like, say, “Sepia Photography” is now pretty much out of business. Because the “one-click” robotic filters were responsible.

Learning how to make a photograph sepia “the hard way” is now considered “whatever, we don’t need to know – the robot does it for us!”

Doesn’t that make you sad? Or should we just entirely “forget” the actual process that happens in the background?

What makes HDR photography or special effects unique anymore? what is the point when they all look the same?

Making sophistication less complicated

Sure, you can say that technological advancements are good – but at the same time, they have removed the “understanding” of it all out of the equation.

Yeah, you can say that 99.9% of the population doesn’t understand how an integrated circuit works – but that’s getting down to “nuts and bolts,” isn’t it?

Yes it is – but understanding “nuts and bolts” is a fairly big part of the overall equation. At least from my perspective.

Not one person I know CARES to understand how micro-circuitry works. Or what kind of electrical processes take place in the “brains” of their devices. Or what voltage. Or what kind of current. That is kind of sad in a way, isn’t it? Sure there are still nerds that know this stuff (mostly in China), but that’s besides the point.

That the true “understanding” of how all these electronic devices work is just known by a very few people, and the rest “just don’t care! Give me my pizza, Delivery.com!”

Appreciating the “roots”

Wow, this story is all over the map, all things considered. And I’m having a tough time “getting to the point.”

But the main gist is: The things you all take for granted today – and I mean REALLY TAKE FOR GRANTED (like getting instant answers), would be a lot more appreciated if you understood how it happened previously.

I see people getting all bent out of shape when they don’t have (one of the following modern ties – electricity, cell service, internet, etc.)

Automatically “googling” something is what most of us do these days to find quick solutions. More often than not – the wrong solution.

The bottom line for us is, that once the entire “society” gets involved with things that used to be “exclusive,” it’s pretty much ruined. And by all means, not all technology – despite what you are lead to believe are “advances,” necessarily have net positive effects on humanity as a whole. Maybe even the opposite.

So people like us search for other avenues. It’s how we find contentment & satisfaction these days.